XN000022-1986-10-15 — Page 47

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1986

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CRUCIAL LINK MISSING IN CONSULTANTS' REPORT

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THE CONSULTANTS REPORT ON THE DELIVERY OF MEDICAL SERVICES IN HOSPITAL+ HAS NOT GIVEN OVERALL CONSIDERATION TO OR A PLAN FOR LINKING UP THE TWO ENDS IN MEDICAL SERVICES - PREVENTIVE AND CLINICAL SERVICES AT THE FRONT END AND COMMUNITY NURSING SERVICES AND CONVALESCENT HOMES AT THE OTHER.

SPEAKING DURING THE ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON THE REPORT IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY), THE HON YEUNG PO-KWAN SAID HOSPITAL SERVICES WAS BUT THE IMPORTANT LINK IN THE MIDDLE PART OF THE WHOLE RANGE OF MEDICAL SERVICES.

+ THE THREE ASPECTS OF PREVENTION, CURE AND CONVALESCENCE IN HEALTH SERVICES CANNOT BE SEPARATED. THE DELIVERY OF THESE SERVICES CANNOT BE DONE IN ISOLATION; OVERALL COORDINATION IS NECESSARY,+ HE SAID.

MR YEUNG SAID HE SUPPORTED THE SPIRIT OF THE REPORT, BUT ADDED THAT IT WAS ORIENTED AT THE STUDY OF HOSPITAL MANAGEMENT RATHER THAN IMPROVING THE OVERALL MEDICAL STRUCTURE.

+IT HAS OVERLOOKED PRIMARY HEALTH CARE OUTSIDE HOSPITALS AND MADE NO MENTION OF THE COORDINATION BETWEEN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE HOSPITALS. AS A RESULT, IT STILL LACKS AN OVERALL SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEMS OF MEDICAL SERVICES,+ HE SAID.

NOTING THAT THE IDEAL FOR FUTURE MEDICAL SERVICES SHOULD BE TO REDUCE, AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, THE NUMBER OF PATIENTS REQUIRING HOSPITAL ADMISSION, MR YEUNG SAID, TO ACHIEVE THIS, PREVENTIVE SERVICE IS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT THAN CURE.+

+THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD STRENGTHEN PRIMARY HEALTH CARE AND EXPAND THE PRESENT CENTRAL HEALTH EDUCATION UNIT. HEALTH EDUCATION SHOULD BE ALL-ROUNDED, WHILE MEDICAL AND HEALTH KNOWLEDGE SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE CURRICULUM OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOLS, HE ADDED.

MR YEUNG URGED THE GOVERNMENT TO CONSIDER THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A HEALTH EDUCATION COORDINATING COMMITTEE FOR THE ENHANCEMENT OF THE PUBLIC'S MEDICAL AND HEALTH KNOWLEDGE, SO AS TO FOSTER THE CONCEPT THAT +EVERYBODY HAS A PART TO PLAY TO ENSURE THAT THE COMMUNITY ENJOYS HEALTH+.

MR YEUNG CALLED ON THE GOVERNMENT TO ENCOURAGE THE POPULARISATION OF MEDICAL INSURANCE SO THAT THE BASIC RIGHTS OF EMPLOYEES COULD BE SAFEGUARDED IN CASE OF SICKNESS.

ON THE COORDINATION BETWEEN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE HOSPITALS, MR YEUNG SAID HE BELIEVED THAT MORE COMMUNICATION WAS NECESSARY, ESPECIALLY IN THE CASE OF PATIENT TRANSFER.

/+DETAILED TREATMENT